US20040040659A1 - Semiconductor processing apparatus with integrated weighing device - Google Patents
Semiconductor processing apparatus with integrated weighing device Download PDFInfo
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- US20040040659A1 US20040040659A1 US10/233,895 US23389502A US2004040659A1 US 20040040659 A1 US20040040659 A1 US 20040040659A1 US 23389502 A US23389502 A US 23389502A US 2004040659 A1 US2004040659 A1 US 2004040659A1
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
- H01L21/67161—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the layout of the process chambers
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67242—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking
- H01L21/67253—Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
- H01L21/67763—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
- H01L21/67769—Storage means
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02104—Forming layers
- H01L21/02107—Forming insulating materials on a substrate
- H01L21/02109—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates
- H01L21/02112—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates characterised by the material of the layer
- H01L21/02118—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates characterised by the material of the layer carbon based polymeric organic or inorganic material, e.g. polyimides, poly cyclobutene or PVC
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02104—Forming layers
- H01L21/02107—Forming insulating materials on a substrate
- H01L21/02225—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer
- H01L21/0226—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer formation by a deposition process
- H01L21/02282—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer formation by a deposition process liquid deposition, e.g. spin-coating, sol-gel techniques, spray coating
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
- H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic System or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
- H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
- H01L21/31—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to form insulating layers thereon, e.g. for masking or by using photolithographic techniques; After treatment of these layers; Selection of materials for these layers
- H01L21/312—Organic layers, e.g. photoresist
Definitions
- the present invention relates to semiconductor processing tools and, more particularly, to semiconductor processing tools which allow the success of a process carried out on a substrate within the tool to be gauged without first removing the substrate from the tool.
- Semiconductor processing generally involves subjecting substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, to a series of processes to form layered structures on the substrates.
- substrates such as semiconductor wafers
- it is determined that a process carried out on one batch of substrates was unsuccessful it is usually desirable to identify and correct the problem prior to carrying out the same process on another batch of substrates so as not to risk having to discard additional substrates.
- an apparatus for processing substrates comprises a substrate handling chamber provided with an interface to receive a cassette.
- a substrate handler is located within the handling chamber, and is adapted to unload substrates to be processed from the cassette received at the interface and to reload processed substrates into the cassette.
- a reaction chamber is adjacent to the handling chamber for processing the substrates.
- a weighing device is accessible to the substrate handler. The weighing device is adapted to weigh the substrates before and after processing the substrates in the processing chamber.
- a method for processing substrates in a processing tool that includes a substrate handling chamber, a processing chamber adjacent to the handling chamber and a weighing device.
- the method comprises loading a cassette into communication with the handling chamber, unloading substrates from the cassette, and loading the substrates into a substrate carrier. At least one of the substrates is weighed with the weighing device prior to loading the at least one substrate into the substrate carrier. The substrates are processed and the substrates are then moved out of the processing chamber. The at least one substrate is weighed with the weighing device after processing, and a change in weight of the at least one substrate resulting from the processing is determined.
- a method for processing at least one substrate in a processing apparatus having an integrated weighing device.
- the method comprises weighing a substrate with the weighing device prior to processing and transferring the weighed substrate into a process chamber.
- the weighed substrate is annealed in the process chamber.
- the weighed and annealed substrate is then transferred out of the process chamber and re-weighed the weighing device after annealing, in order to determine an amount of weight lost by the substrate during annealing.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus having features and advantages in accordance with the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a schematic top plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3 is a schematic side elevational view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1, with a portion of the housing removed to show the location of the weighing device within the apparatus.
- FIGS. 1 - 3 One exemplary embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus or tool 20 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 - 3 .
- the apparatus 20 includes a housing 30 installed in a so-called “clean room.”
- a processing area or chamber 32 is defined at a back end within the housing by a first wall or partition 36 , as illustrated in FIG. 2.
- a substrate handling chamber 38 is defined within the housing 30 between the first partition 36 and a second partition 42 .
- a cassette transfer chamber 46 is defined within the housing 30 between the second partition 42 and a third partition 48 .
- a front end part, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises a cassette loading station 50 is provided on the opposite side of the third partition 48 for moving a plurality of cassettes 60 containing substrates 70 into and out of the apparatus 20 .
- the cassettes 60 are standard front-opening unified pods (“FOUPs”), which typically hold 25 substrates 70 and have doors that can be closed to provide sealed environments for the substrates 70 and opened to provide access to the substrates 70 .
- a cassette handling device or robot 78 is provided in the cassette transfer chamber 46 to transport the cassettes 60 from the loading station 50 through a closable opening 82 to a cassette store 86 .
- the cassette store 86 comprises a number of vertically aligned rotary platforms 88 on which the cassettes 60 can be supported.
- the cassette handling device 78 is movable in a vertical direction by means of an elevator 92 so that the various platforms 88 of the cassette store 86 can be accessed by the cassette handling device 78 .
- the cassette handling device 78 includes a cassette end effector 96 which, in the embodiment shown, has dimensions slightly smaller than the dimensions of a plurality of cut-outs 98 provided in the rotary platforms 88 .
- the cassette handling device 78 is operable to transport the cassettes 60 between the cassette loading station 50 and the store 86 .
- the end effector 96 can be lowered or raised through the cut-outs 98 of the platforms 88 to lower the cassettes 60 onto, or raise the cassettes 60 off of, the platforms 88 .
- a rotatable cassette transfer platform 100 is provided adjacent the partition 42 between the cassette transfer chamber 46 and the substrate handling chamber 38 .
- the cassette transfer platform 100 of the illustrated embodiment includes two levels 102 (see FIG. 1) which can be rotated independently of one another.
- the cassette handling device 78 is adapted to transport the cassettes 60 between the store 86 and the cassette transfer platform 100 .
- the cassette handling device 78 can transport the cassettes 60 directly between the cassette loading station 50 and the cassette transfer platform 100 , bypassing the store 86 .
- the transfer platform 100 can be rotated so that the doors of the cassettes 60 are positioned against an interface portion 110 of the partition 42 .
- the interface portion 110 of the partition 42 preferably includes closeable openings 120 (see FIG. 3) through which the cassettes 60 can be accessed.
- a substrate handler or robot 130 is provided in the handling chamber 38 .
- the substrate handler 130 is adapted to transfer substrates 70 between the cassettes 60 positioned against the interface portion 110 of the partition 42 and a substrate carrier 140 , such as the illustrated vertical wafer boat.
- the substrate carrier 140 is situated in the handling chamber 38 adjacent to the substrate handler 130 .
- Such an arrangement is found, for example, in the commerically available Advance 412TM vertical furnace tool, commerically available from ASM International N.V. of Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
- the substrate carrier 140 preferably holds greater than about 50 substrates, and in the illustrated embodiment holds 100 substrates 70 .
- a transfer arm 146 is provided adjacent to the substrate carrier 140 .
- the transfer arm 146 is adapted to move the substrate carrier 140 between the handling chamber 38 and the processing chamber 32 through a closeable opening 152 provided in the partition 36 .
- the substrate handler 130 can load substrates into carriers 140 that are situated in the processing chamber 32 .
- the substrate carrier is positioned within the process chamber, and the handler loads the wafers onto the carrier through a door between the process chamber and the handling chamber.
- a horizontal boat transfer mechanism which in the illustrated embodiment comprises a turntable or carousel 164 , is provided in the processing chamber 32 .
- a pair of reaction chambers or vertical furnaces 170 are provided above the carousel 164 .
- the carousel 164 can be rotated to position substrate carriers 140 supported on the carousel 164 below the furnaces 170 .
- a lift arm 182 is provided below each of the furnaces 170 to raise and lower the substrate carriers 140 into and out of the furnaces 170 .
- Cut-outs 186 are provided in the carousel 164 for passage of the lift arm 182 as the substrate carriers 140 are lifted off of and lowered back onto the carousel 164 .
- the processing apparatus 20 also includes an integrated weighing device 200 .
- the weighing device 200 is accessible to the substrate handler 130 . More preferably, the weighing device 200 is located adjacent to the substrate handling chamber 38 . In the embodiment shown, the weighing device 200 is provided above the cassette transfer platform 100 . The weighing device 200 abuts the partition 42 between the transfer chamber 46 and the handling chamber 38 , and can be accessed from the handling chamber 38 through an opening 204 (see FIG. 3) in the partition 42 , which is preferably provided with a door. The substrate handler 130 can thus easily access the weighing device 200 to insert and remove substrates 70 from the device 200 .
- the weighing device 200 is located in the transfer cassette chamber 46 in the embodiment shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the optimum location for the weighing device 200 will depend on the particular design of the processing apparatus in which it is employed.
- the weighing device 200 may be of any suitable type, but in the illustrated embodiment comprises an electronically operated weighing device with a full range of at least 200 grams and preferably a full range of 1 kg.
- the weighing device 200 has a resolution of 5 ⁇ g or better, and more preferably 1 ⁇ g or better.
- an operator To operate the processing apparatus 20 , an operator, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1, loads cassettes 60 onto the cassette loading station 50 of the apparatus 20 . Processing instructions are input by the operator to a controller (not shown) of the apparatus 20 at a control panel 210 .
- the cassette handling device 78 transports the cassettes 60 from the loading station 50 and places them in a number of storage compartments 214 provided in the store 86 , which is rotated to present additional compartments 214 to be filled.
- the cassette handling device 78 removes one of the cassettes 60 from the store 86 and places it on the cassette transfer platform 100 .
- the cassette handling device 78 could transport a cassette 60 directly from the cassette loading station 50 to the transfer platform 100 .
- the cassette transfer platform 100 is then rotated to position the door of the cassette 60 against the interface portion 110 of the partition 42 .
- the substrate handler 130 removes the substrates 70 from the cassette 60 and loads them into a substrate carrier 140 located within reach of the handler 130 .
- At least one of the substrates 70 from each batch is weighed with the weighing device 200 prior to loading it into the substrate carrier 140 . More preferably, at least three of the substrates 70 from each batch are weighed with the weighing device 200 prior to being loaded into the substrate carrier 140 .
- the substrates 70 that have been weighed preferably are loaded into the substrate carrier 140 at separate locations. For example, if three of the substrates 70 are weighed, one of the substrates 70 preferably is loaded into the carrier 140 near the top of the carrier 140 , the second near the middle of the carrier 140 , and the third near the bottom of the carrier 140 . The weight of each of the substrates 70 weighed is then recorded by the controller.
- the closure 152 in the partition 36 is opened.
- the transfer arm 146 moves the carrier 140 from the handling chamber 38 to the processing chamber 32 and places the carrier 140 onto the carousel 164 and the closure 152 is shut.
- the carrier is already located within the processing chamber when being loaded.
- the carousel 164 is then rotated to move the carrier 140 into position beneath one of the furnaces 170 .
- the lift arm 182 then lifts the carrier 140 into the furnace 170 for processing.
- the lift arm 182 lowers the carrier 140 back onto the carousel 164 .
- the processed substrates 70 may then be cooled on the carousel 164 , as necessary, prior to removing the carrier 140 from the processing chamber 32 .
- the closure 152 in the partition 36 is again opened and the transfer arm 146 moves the carrier 140 back into the handling chamber 38 .
- the substrates 70 are unloaded from the carrier 140 by the substrate handler 130 and loaded into an empty cassette 60 positioned on the other side of the interface portion 110 of the partition 42 .
- the substrates 70 that were weighed prior to processing are re-weighed with the weighing device 200 prior to being loaded into the cassette 60 .
- the controller then compares the weight of each of the substrates 70 after processing to the weight of the same substrate 70 prior to processing to determine the amount of weight lost or gained by the substrate 70 during processing. If the change in weight of each of the substrates 70 weighed (or, if desired, the total change in weight of all of the substrates 70 weighed) falls within a predetermined “acceptable” range that has been pre-programmed into the controller, processing of a new batch of substrates 70 may begin.
- the weighing device 200 is integrated with the processing apparatus 20 , it can be determined whether the process was unsuccessful based on the weight of the substrates immediately after completion of the process. There is no need to first reload the substrates 70 into cassettes 60 , remove the cassettes 60 from the apparatus 20 , and transport the cassettes 60 to another location for testing, by which time the next batch of substrates 70 would already be undergoing processing. If, after re-weighing the substrates 70 , it is determined that the process was unsuccessful, processing of the next batch of substrates 70 can be immediately suspended until corrective measures have been taken. By measuring the weight change for multiple substrates at different locations within the carrier, the precision of tool diagnostics is improved. Furthermore, since the weighing device 200 is located within the housing 30 of the apparatus 20 , it does not take up valuable additional floor space in the clean room.
- the process conducted in the processing chamber 32 is the annealing of spin-on polymer materials applied to substrates 70 .
- Spin-on polymer materials are commonly used to form high quality insulating layers in integrated circuit devices. Such materials often have lower dielectric constants than conventional inorganic dielectric materials, such as silicon dioxide.
- the spin-on application process also generally results in planarization of the underlying substrate topography, which is desirable in many instances.
- Spin-on polymers are available from the Dow Chemical Company of Midland, Mich., U.S.A., under the trade name SiLK®.
- the application of spin-on polymer materials typically involves depositing the material in a solvent solution onto a substrate 70 and spinning the substrate 70 at high speeds to distribute a thin film of the material over the surface of the substrate 70 .
- the substrate 70 then undergoes a preliminary baking process, typically at a temperature between about 100° C. and 200° C., to evaporate the solvent from the film.
- the substrate 70 undergoes an annealing process to cure and stabilize the polymer film.
- the annealing process can advantageously be carried out in the apparatus 20 of the illustrated embodiment.
- Substrates 70 which have previously undergone the preliminary baking process are loaded into the cassettes 60 which, in turn, are loaded into the loading station 50 of the apparatus 20 .
- the cassettes 60 are moved through the cassette transfer chamber 46 in the manner described above.
- the substrate handler 130 removes the substrates 70 from the cassettes 60 and loads them into a substrate carrier 140 .
- One or more of the substrates 70 are weighed, as described above, prior to loading them into the carrier 140 , and the weight of each of the substrates 70 is recorded by the controller.
- the loaded carrier 140 is then moved into the processing chamber 32 , rotated into position beneath one of the furnaces 170 , and lifted by one of the lift arms 182 into the overlying vertical furnace 170 to begin the annealing process.
- the annealing process preferably is carried out in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature between about 100° C. and 600° C., and more preferably between about 150° C. and 350° C.
- a temperature between about 100° C. and 600° C., and more preferably between about 150° C. and 350° C.
- cross-linking of the polymer material occurs and a stable, high quality insulating layer is formed.
- ligands are released from the polymers.
- the weight of the material, and thus the overall weight of each substrate 70 (including the layer of polymer material) is decreased.
- some remaining trace amounts of the solvent may be evaporated from the material during the annealing process, thereby further reducing the weight of the substrates 70 .
- the carrier 140 is lowered out of the furnace 170 and moved back into the handling chamber 38 .
- the substrates 70 are then unloaded from the carrier 140 by the substrate handler 130 and loaded into empty cassettes 60 positioned on the other side of the interface portion 110 of the partition 42 .
- the substrates 70 that were weighed prior to processing are re-weighed prior to being loaded into the cassettes 60 .
- the controller then compares the weight of each of the substrates 70 after processing to the weight of the same substrate 70 prior to processing, as described above, to determine the amount of weight lost by each of the substrates 70 during the annealing process.
- the amount of weight lost by one or more of the substrates 70 during the annealing process falls outside of the predetermined range, it may be assumed that the annealing process was unsuccessful and that a problem exists. For example, if the amount of weight lost by one or more of the substrates 70 during the annealing process is too low, it may be that there was insufficient cross-linking of the polymer material. If the amount of weight lost by one or more of the substrates 70 during the annealing process is too high, it may be that the polymer has been oxidized due to the presence of undesired amounts oxygen, delamination of the polymer film or other causes.
- processing of the next batch of substrates 70 is suspended until an operator intervenes. If the change in weight of each of the substrates 70 falls inside the predetermined range, processing of next batch may continue.
- the processing apparatus 20 can advantageously be used for any process in which the success of the process can be gauged by the resulting change in weight of the substrates 70 .
- processes include anneal processes and cure processes, such as anneal of PSG and BPSG films up to 900° C., the deposition of films by CVD or other techniques, the removal of films by etching techniques and the thinning of substrates by grinding.
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to semiconductor processing tools and, more particularly, to semiconductor processing tools which allow the success of a process carried out on a substrate within the tool to be gauged without first removing the substrate from the tool.
- Semiconductor processing generally involves subjecting substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, to a series of processes to form layered structures on the substrates. During the course of such processing, it is often desirable to test the outcome of one process conducted on a substrate or batch of substrates prior to conducting another process on the same substrate or batch, in order to determine whether the first process was successful. If it was not successful, the substrates may be discarded or salvaged, if possible, prior to subjecting them to additional processes. Similarly, if it is determined that a process carried out on one batch of substrates was unsuccessful, it is usually desirable to identify and correct the problem prior to carrying out the same process on another batch of substrates so as not to risk having to discard additional substrates.
- Various methods have been devised for testing whether certain processes have been successful. For example, in CVD processes, substrates have been weighed both prior to and after processing to determine whether, and by what amount, the weight of the substrates was increased as a result of the deposition process. If the deposition process was successful (i.e., a layer of material having a desired thickness was deposited on the substrates), the amount by which the weight of the substrates increased should fall within a predetermined range. If the change in weight of the substrates falls outside of the predetermined range, it can be assumed that the deposition process was unsuccessful.
- One problem with such testing methods is that they are often performed outside of the tool in which the process is carried out on the substrates. The substrates must therefore be removed from the tool and transported to the testing device for testing. This typically requires that the substrates first be loaded into cassettes prior to being transported to the testing device. In the meantime, if processing is continued on another batch of substrates while the previous batch is being tested, there is a risk that additional substrates may have to be discarded when the process results on the previous batch are found to be unacceptable. Alternatively, if processing of the next batch of substrates is discontinued pending the results of the testing, the idle time adversely affects throughput.
- Accordingly, a need exists for a semiconductor processing apparatus having an integrated weighing device that allows the success of a process carried out in the apparatus to be gauged without requiring that the substrates be removed from the apparatus.
- In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for processing substrates is provided. The apparatus comprises a substrate handling chamber provided with an interface to receive a cassette. A substrate handler is located within the handling chamber, and is adapted to unload substrates to be processed from the cassette received at the interface and to reload processed substrates into the cassette. A reaction chamber is adjacent to the handling chamber for processing the substrates. A weighing device is accessible to the substrate handler. The weighing device is adapted to weigh the substrates before and after processing the substrates in the processing chamber.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for processing substrates in a processing tool that includes a substrate handling chamber, a processing chamber adjacent to the handling chamber and a weighing device. The method comprises loading a cassette into communication with the handling chamber, unloading substrates from the cassette, and loading the substrates into a substrate carrier. At least one of the substrates is weighed with the weighing device prior to loading the at least one substrate into the substrate carrier. The substrates are processed and the substrates are then moved out of the processing chamber. The at least one substrate is weighed with the weighing device after processing, and a change in weight of the at least one substrate resulting from the processing is determined.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for processing at least one substrate in a processing apparatus having an integrated weighing device. The method comprises weighing a substrate with the weighing device prior to processing and transferring the weighed substrate into a process chamber. The weighed substrate is annealed in the process chamber. The weighed and annealed substrate is then transferred out of the process chamber and re-weighed the weighing device after annealing, in order to determine an amount of weight lost by the substrate during annealing.
- These and other aspects of the invention will be readily apparent to the skilled artisan in view of the description below, the appended claims, and from the drawings, which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention, and wherein:
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus having features and advantages in accordance with the present invention;
- FIG. 2 is a schematic top plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1; and
- FIG. 3 is a schematic side elevational view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1, with a portion of the housing removed to show the location of the weighing device within the apparatus.
- One exemplary embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus or
tool 20 is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. As illustrated in FIG. 1, theapparatus 20 includes ahousing 30 installed in a so-called “clean room.” A processing area orchamber 32 is defined at a back end within the housing by a first wall orpartition 36, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Asubstrate handling chamber 38 is defined within thehousing 30 between thefirst partition 36 and asecond partition 42. Acassette transfer chamber 46 is defined within thehousing 30 between thesecond partition 42 and athird partition 48. A front end part, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises acassette loading station 50, is provided on the opposite side of thethird partition 48 for moving a plurality ofcassettes 60 containingsubstrates 70 into and out of theapparatus 20. - Preferably, the
cassettes 60 are standard front-opening unified pods (“FOUPs”), which typically hold 25substrates 70 and have doors that can be closed to provide sealed environments for thesubstrates 70 and opened to provide access to thesubstrates 70. A cassette handling device orrobot 78 is provided in thecassette transfer chamber 46 to transport thecassettes 60 from theloading station 50 through aclosable opening 82 to acassette store 86. In the illustrated embodiment, thecassette store 86 comprises a number of vertically alignedrotary platforms 88 on which thecassettes 60 can be supported. Thecassette handling device 78 is movable in a vertical direction by means of anelevator 92 so that thevarious platforms 88 of thecassette store 86 can be accessed by thecassette handling device 78. - The
cassette handling device 78 includes acassette end effector 96 which, in the embodiment shown, has dimensions slightly smaller than the dimensions of a plurality of cut-outs 98 provided in therotary platforms 88. Thecassette handling device 78 is operable to transport thecassettes 60 between thecassette loading station 50 and thestore 86. Theend effector 96 can be lowered or raised through the cut-outs 98 of theplatforms 88 to lower thecassettes 60 onto, or raise thecassettes 60 off of, theplatforms 88. - In the embodiment shown, a rotatable
cassette transfer platform 100 is provided adjacent thepartition 42 between thecassette transfer chamber 46 and thesubstrate handling chamber 38. Thecassette transfer platform 100 of the illustrated embodiment includes two levels 102 (see FIG. 1) which can be rotated independently of one another. Thecassette handling device 78 is adapted to transport thecassettes 60 between thestore 86 and thecassette transfer platform 100. Alternatively, thecassette handling device 78 can transport thecassettes 60 directly between thecassette loading station 50 and thecassette transfer platform 100, bypassing thestore 86. Thetransfer platform 100 can be rotated so that the doors of thecassettes 60 are positioned against aninterface portion 110 of thepartition 42. Theinterface portion 110 of thepartition 42 preferably includes closeable openings 120 (see FIG. 3) through which thecassettes 60 can be accessed. - As illustrated in FIG. 2, a substrate handler or
robot 130 is provided in thehandling chamber 38. Thesubstrate handler 130 is adapted totransfer substrates 70 between thecassettes 60 positioned against theinterface portion 110 of thepartition 42 and asubstrate carrier 140, such as the illustrated vertical wafer boat. In the illustrated embodiment, thesubstrate carrier 140 is situated in thehandling chamber 38 adjacent to thesubstrate handler 130. Such an arrangement is found, for example, in the commerically available Advance 412™ vertical furnace tool, commerically available from ASM International N.V. of Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Thesubstrate carrier 140 preferably holds greater than about 50 substrates, and in the illustrated embodiment holds 100substrates 70. Atransfer arm 146 is provided adjacent to thesubstrate carrier 140. Thetransfer arm 146 is adapted to move thesubstrate carrier 140 between thehandling chamber 38 and theprocessing chamber 32 through acloseable opening 152 provided in thepartition 36. In other arrangements, thesubstrate handler 130 can load substrates intocarriers 140 that are situated in theprocessing chamber 32. For example, in the Advance 400™ vertical funace tool from ASM International N.V. of Bilthoven, The Netherlands, the substrate carrier is positioned within the process chamber, and the handler loads the wafers onto the carrier through a door between the process chamber and the handling chamber. - A horizontal boat transfer mechanism, which in the illustrated embodiment comprises a turntable or
carousel 164, is provided in theprocessing chamber 32. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a pair of reaction chambers orvertical furnaces 170 are provided above thecarousel 164. Thecarousel 164 can be rotated to positionsubstrate carriers 140 supported on thecarousel 164 below thefurnaces 170. Alift arm 182 is provided below each of thefurnaces 170 to raise and lower thesubstrate carriers 140 into and out of thefurnaces 170. Cut-outs 186 are provided in thecarousel 164 for passage of thelift arm 182 as thesubstrate carriers 140 are lifted off of and lowered back onto thecarousel 164. - The
processing apparatus 20 also includes an integrated weighingdevice 200. Preferably, the weighingdevice 200 is accessible to thesubstrate handler 130. More preferably, the weighingdevice 200 is located adjacent to thesubstrate handling chamber 38. In the embodiment shown, the weighingdevice 200 is provided above thecassette transfer platform 100. The weighingdevice 200 abuts thepartition 42 between thetransfer chamber 46 and the handlingchamber 38, and can be accessed from the handlingchamber 38 through an opening 204 (see FIG. 3) in thepartition 42, which is preferably provided with a door. Thesubstrate handler 130 can thus easily access the weighingdevice 200 to insert and removesubstrates 70 from thedevice 200. Although the weighingdevice 200 is located in thetransfer cassette chamber 46 in the embodiment shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the optimum location for the weighingdevice 200 will depend on the particular design of the processing apparatus in which it is employed. The weighingdevice 200 may be of any suitable type, but in the illustrated embodiment comprises an electronically operated weighing device with a full range of at least 200 grams and preferably a full range of 1 kg. Preferably, the weighingdevice 200 has a resolution of 5 μg or better, and more preferably 1 μg or better. - To operate the
processing apparatus 20, an operator, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1, loadscassettes 60 onto thecassette loading station 50 of theapparatus 20. Processing instructions are input by the operator to a controller (not shown) of theapparatus 20 at acontrol panel 210. Thecassette handling device 78 transports thecassettes 60 from theloading station 50 and places them in a number ofstorage compartments 214 provided in thestore 86, which is rotated to presentadditional compartments 214 to be filled. - With reference again to FIG. 2, the
cassette handling device 78 removes one of thecassettes 60 from thestore 86 and places it on thecassette transfer platform 100. Alternatively, thecassette handling device 78 could transport acassette 60 directly from thecassette loading station 50 to thetransfer platform 100. Thecassette transfer platform 100 is then rotated to position the door of thecassette 60 against theinterface portion 110 of thepartition 42. Thesubstrate handler 130 removes thesubstrates 70 from thecassette 60 and loads them into asubstrate carrier 140 located within reach of thehandler 130. - Preferably, at least one of the
substrates 70 from each batch (e.g., 100substrates 70 in the illustrated embodiment) is weighed with the weighingdevice 200 prior to loading it into thesubstrate carrier 140. More preferably, at least three of thesubstrates 70 from each batch are weighed with the weighingdevice 200 prior to being loaded into thesubstrate carrier 140. Thesubstrates 70 that have been weighed preferably are loaded into thesubstrate carrier 140 at separate locations. For example, if three of thesubstrates 70 are weighed, one of thesubstrates 70 preferably is loaded into thecarrier 140 near the top of thecarrier 140, the second near the middle of thecarrier 140, and the third near the bottom of thecarrier 140. The weight of each of thesubstrates 70 weighed is then recorded by the controller. - After the
substrate carrier 140 has been loaded, in the illustrated embodiment theclosure 152 in thepartition 36 is opened. Thetransfer arm 146 moves thecarrier 140 from the handlingchamber 38 to theprocessing chamber 32 and places thecarrier 140 onto thecarousel 164 and theclosure 152 is shut. In other arrangements, the carrier is already located within the processing chamber when being loaded. Thecarousel 164 is then rotated to move thecarrier 140 into position beneath one of thefurnaces 170. Thelift arm 182 then lifts thecarrier 140 into thefurnace 170 for processing. - After processing, the
lift arm 182 lowers thecarrier 140 back onto thecarousel 164. The processedsubstrates 70 may then be cooled on thecarousel 164, as necessary, prior to removing thecarrier 140 from theprocessing chamber 32. When thesubstrates 70 are sufficiently cool, theclosure 152 in thepartition 36 is again opened and thetransfer arm 146 moves thecarrier 140 back into the handlingchamber 38. - The
substrates 70 are unloaded from thecarrier 140 by thesubstrate handler 130 and loaded into anempty cassette 60 positioned on the other side of theinterface portion 110 of thepartition 42. Thesubstrates 70 that were weighed prior to processing are re-weighed with the weighingdevice 200 prior to being loaded into thecassette 60. The controller then compares the weight of each of thesubstrates 70 after processing to the weight of thesame substrate 70 prior to processing to determine the amount of weight lost or gained by thesubstrate 70 during processing. If the change in weight of each of thesubstrates 70 weighed (or, if desired, the total change in weight of all of thesubstrates 70 weighed) falls within a predetermined “acceptable” range that has been pre-programmed into the controller, processing of a new batch ofsubstrates 70 may begin. If the change in weight falls outside the acceptable range (i.e., the amount of weight gained or lost by one or more of thesubstrates 70 weighed, or the total amount of weight gained by all of thesubstrates 70 weighed, is either too great or too small), processing of the next batch ofsubstrates 70 is suspended until the operator intervenes. - Because the weighing
device 200 is integrated with theprocessing apparatus 20, it can be determined whether the process was unsuccessful based on the weight of the substrates immediately after completion of the process. There is no need to first reload thesubstrates 70 intocassettes 60, remove thecassettes 60 from theapparatus 20, and transport thecassettes 60 to another location for testing, by which time the next batch ofsubstrates 70 would already be undergoing processing. If, after re-weighing thesubstrates 70, it is determined that the process was unsuccessful, processing of the next batch ofsubstrates 70 can be immediately suspended until corrective measures have been taken. By measuring the weight change for multiple substrates at different locations within the carrier, the precision of tool diagnostics is improved. Furthermore, since the weighingdevice 200 is located within thehousing 30 of theapparatus 20, it does not take up valuable additional floor space in the clean room. - In the illustrated
processing apparatus 20, the process conducted in theprocessing chamber 32 is the annealing of spin-on polymer materials applied tosubstrates 70. Spin-on polymer materials are commonly used to form high quality insulating layers in integrated circuit devices. Such materials often have lower dielectric constants than conventional inorganic dielectric materials, such as silicon dioxide. The spin-on application process also generally results in planarization of the underlying substrate topography, which is desirable in many instances. Spin-on polymers are available from the Dow Chemical Company of Midland, Mich., U.S.A., under the trade name SiLK®. U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,125, issued Jan. 12, 1988 to Anello et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,062, issued Mar. 26, 1991 to Yen, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,679, issued Oct. 12, 1999 to Godschalx et al., provide background information relating to spin-on polymer processes, and are hereby incorporated by reference herein. - The application of spin-on polymer materials typically involves depositing the material in a solvent solution onto a
substrate 70 and spinning thesubstrate 70 at high speeds to distribute a thin film of the material over the surface of thesubstrate 70. Thesubstrate 70 then undergoes a preliminary baking process, typically at a temperature between about 100° C. and 200° C., to evaporate the solvent from the film. - After the solvent has been evaporated from the film, the
substrate 70 undergoes an annealing process to cure and stabilize the polymer film. The annealing process can advantageously be carried out in theapparatus 20 of the illustrated embodiment.Substrates 70 which have previously undergone the preliminary baking process are loaded into thecassettes 60 which, in turn, are loaded into theloading station 50 of theapparatus 20. Thecassettes 60 are moved through thecassette transfer chamber 46 in the manner described above. Thesubstrate handler 130 removes thesubstrates 70 from thecassettes 60 and loads them into asubstrate carrier 140. One or more of thesubstrates 70 are weighed, as described above, prior to loading them into thecarrier 140, and the weight of each of thesubstrates 70 is recorded by the controller. In the illustrated embodiment, the loadedcarrier 140 is then moved into theprocessing chamber 32, rotated into position beneath one of thefurnaces 170, and lifted by one of thelift arms 182 into the overlyingvertical furnace 170 to begin the annealing process. - The annealing process preferably is carried out in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature between about 100° C. and 600° C., and more preferably between about 150° C. and 350° C. During the annealing process, cross-linking of the polymer material occurs and a stable, high quality insulating layer is formed. As the polymer material is cross-linked, ligands are released from the polymers. As a result, the weight of the material, and thus the overall weight of each substrate70 (including the layer of polymer material) is decreased. In addition, some remaining trace amounts of the solvent may be evaporated from the material during the annealing process, thereby further reducing the weight of the
substrates 70. - After the annealing process is completed, the
carrier 140 is lowered out of thefurnace 170 and moved back into the handlingchamber 38. Thesubstrates 70 are then unloaded from thecarrier 140 by thesubstrate handler 130 and loaded intoempty cassettes 60 positioned on the other side of theinterface portion 110 of thepartition 42. Thesubstrates 70 that were weighed prior to processing are re-weighed prior to being loaded into thecassettes 60. The controller then compares the weight of each of thesubstrates 70 after processing to the weight of thesame substrate 70 prior to processing, as described above, to determine the amount of weight lost by each of thesubstrates 70 during the annealing process. - It is possible to determine a range within which the amount of weight lost by each of the
substrates 70 should fall if the annealing process is successful. For example, during a successful curing anneal of a spin-on polymer material, typically between about 0.5% and 5% of its weight is lost. The applied film thickness for such a spin-on polymer material is in the range of 0.1 μm to 1.0 μm whereas the density is about 1.0 g/cm3. For a standard 300 mm wafer, having a surface area of 707 cm2, this results in a minimum weight change of 35 μgram and a maximum weight change of 3500 μgram. Note that the weight of one monolayer of water atoms on a 300 mm wafer, assuming a film thickness of 0.3 nm, is 707*0.3*10−7=21 μg. Furthermore, for comparison the weight of a 300 mm wafer having a thickness of 875 μm and a density of 2.2 g/cm3 is 136 grams. For a 200 mm wafer these numbers are scaled down in ratio to the surface area of the wafer and its thickness. - If the amount of weight lost by one or more of the
substrates 70 during the annealing process falls outside of the predetermined range, it may be assumed that the annealing process was unsuccessful and that a problem exists. For example, if the amount of weight lost by one or more of thesubstrates 70 during the annealing process is too low, it may be that there was insufficient cross-linking of the polymer material. If the amount of weight lost by one or more of thesubstrates 70 during the annealing process is too high, it may be that the polymer has been oxidized due to the presence of undesired amounts oxygen, delamination of the polymer film or other causes. In either case, if the change in weight of each of thesubstrates 70 falls outside of the predetermined range, processing of the next batch ofsubstrates 70 is suspended until an operator intervenes. If the change in weight of each of thesubstrates 70 falls inside the predetermined range, processing of next batch may continue. - While the operation of the
processing apparatus 20 has been described in the context of a spin-on polymer annealing process, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that theapparatus 20 can also be used in other types of processes. In general, theprocessing apparatus 20 can advantageously be used for any process in which the success of the process can be gauged by the resulting change in weight of thesubstrates 70. Examples of such processes include anneal processes and cure processes, such as anneal of PSG and BPSG films up to 900° C., the deposition of films by CVD or other techniques, the removal of films by etching techniques and the thinning of substrates by grinding. - Accordingly, although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. It is further contemplated that various combinations and sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims that follow.
- It should be noted that certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described above for the purpose of describing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
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